Inside The Hawkeyes

How Iowa Can Avoid Back-To-Back Losses

The Iowa Hawkeyes are looking to avoid back-to-back losses in the Ben McCollum era.
Jordon Lawrenz|
Iowa guard Cooper Koch (8) reacts after defeating Grand Canyon 59-46 in their Acrisure Series championship basketball game at Acrisure Arena in Palm Desert, Calif., on Nov. 26, 2025.
Iowa guard Cooper Koch (8) reacts after defeating Grand Canyon 59-46 in their Acrisure Series championship basketball game at Acrisure Arena in Palm Desert, Calif., on Nov. 26, 2025. | Taya Gray/The Desert Sun / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

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Iowa Hawkeyes

After suffering defeat in their first conference matchup, the Iowa Hawkeyes had just a few days to regroup. The Michigan State game didn't go their way, but now they have Maryland on the horizon. Thankfully for Iowa, this is a home game against an unranked team.

Having to face No. 7 Michigan State and No. 10 Iowa State on the road in a nine-day span is no joke. Sandwiched in-between those games is 6-3 Maryland as the Terrapins are set for their first conference battle of the year.

Iowa's Offense Must Come Alive

When it comes to the Terrapins, they aren't known for their defense. Maryland allowed 100+ points against both No. 12 Gonzaga and No. 8 Alabama over Thanksgiving week. Granted, both of those are top teams in the nation, that's still a surreal number of points to be allowing.

Iowa hasn't dropped triple digits since Ben McCollum's debut vs. Robert Morris. The step up in competition from Robert Morris to Maryland will be alarming, so there's no reason to believe Iowa will be putting up Gonzaga or Alabama like numbers against Maryland.

Regardless, their offense can't go silent. If Maryland is going to win this game, they'll do so because Iowa can't make a shot. After scoring a season low 52 points against Michigan State, Hawkeyes fans began to get concerend. This team has scored less than 60 points in their last two games, and that doesn't bode well for them against Maryland.

Convert Turnovers Into Points

Maryland is just a few ticks shy of averaging 14 turnovers per game which is four more than the Hawkeyes. It's not like Iowa has played mistake free basketball, but they will be in the drivers seat if they win the points off turnover battle.

Another alarming number is the assists total which favors Iowa by roughly five per game. Bennett Stirtz isn't afraid to pass the ball, and his team leading 5.3 assists per game could help take the Hawkeyes to the next level. Ball movement against this Terrapins defense is going to be extremely key.

If Iowa's offense is quiet and they turn the ball over, they may as well just hand Maryland the win. In no world should McCollum let this Terrapins defense get to the Hawkeyes, and if they do, there's some serious conversations to be had about the state of this team. It's still early, but this is a must win game for Iowa.

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Jordon Lawrenz
JORDON LAWRENZ

Jordon Lawrenz serves as the Eastern United States College Recruiting beat writer On SI. Jordon is an accomplished writer covering the NFL, MLB, and college football/basketball. He has contributed to PFSN’s and Heavy’s NFL coverage. Having graduated from the University of Wisconsin - Green Bay with a Sports Communication and Journalism degree, Jordon fully embraced the sports writing lifestyle upon his relocation to Florida.

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